Heel-building machine.



P. J. RILEY. HEEL BUILDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR.12, 1912.

Patented Dec.2,1913;

2 BHEETS-SHEET 1 Elwuwtoz 2212mm Riley,

P. J. RILEY. HEEL BUILDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED 111 11.12, 1912.

Patnted Dec. 2,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATRICK JAMES RILEY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

HEEL-BUILDING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 12, 1912.

Patented Dec. 2,1913.

Serial No. 690,251.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK J. RILEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Heel-Building Machines, of which the following isa specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in heel building machines.

In carrying out my invent-ion I propose to provide a heel-cutting diehaving arranged in connection therewith a tube or cylinder having across section shaped to correspond with that of the die and theheel-lifts cut by the die, the said cylinder being normally sustained inproper relation with the die through the medium of suitable resilientelements, and the cylinder being also provided with a lift rest which isadapted to yieldably contact with the cylinder walls to support thelifts or layers of leather forming the heel, and to be moved a distanceequaling the thickness of each of the said lifts as the lifts aresuccessively forced through the die and within the cylinder, thecylinder being removable whereby, the lifts which are formed into a logmay be removed therefrom and arranged within a suitable device wherethey are allowed to dry under pressure, it being understood that thelifts are preferably moistened before being cut and forced into thecylinder.

I further aim to provide in a heel building machine, cylinders ofvarious lengths, whereby leather logs of any desired length may 7 bemade, the said logs after being removed from the cylinder being adaptedto be cut by a knife the desired lengths.

With the above recited objects in view, and others of a similar naturewhich will be apparent as the invention is disclosed, the improvementresides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of partsset forth in and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a device constructed inaccordance with the present invention, the supporting table being shownin section. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the same.Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the lift rest. Fig. 4 is an elevation ofone of the leather logs constructed by the machine. Fig. 5 is aperspective view of a portion of the log constituting the heel body.Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the die. Fig. 7 is a perspective view ofa die and cylinder formed integrally therewith which may be em- Iployed. Fig. 8 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through thesame.

It may here be stated that the leather forming the lifts may be gluedtogether before being operated upon by the die and cutter if desired,and it is to be understood that the strips of leather providing thelifts formed by the machine may be moistened or subjected to a bath in asuitable fluid before the same are cut, and after the said lifts areremoved from the cylinder of the machine they are dried undercompression after which the log formed by the machine is cut with asharp knife into proper lengths to form heels.

In the construction illustrated in the drawings (Figs. 1 to 6inclusive), I provide a table 1 which includes a top 2 as well as abottom board 3. Arranged directly above and partly surrounding anopening provided in the top 2 of the table is a cutting member or die 5of a desired size and shaped to correspond with the heel to bemanufactured by the machine.

The numeral 7 designates a suitable mallet which is adapted tocoiiperate with the cutting element or die 5.

Arranged below the die 5 and having its upper portion positioned withinthe opening of the table formed for its reception, is a cylinder 6. Thiscylinder or tube is of a cross sectional shape corresponding to theshape of the interior of the die 5, the lower portion of the cylinder 6being received within a recess or pocket formed in the upper face of theboard or connecting member 8 of the table.

The numeral 8 designates a plurality of compression springs which areretained upon the bottom face of the pocket 7 and which are adapted toeXert a pressure upon the lower edge of the cylinder 6 to force theupper edge of the said cylinder tightly into contact with the lower faceof the die 5. The pocket 7 is of a depth sufiicient to permit of thecylinder being forced downwardly therein against the tension of thesprings 8 to permit of the upper portion of the said cylinder beingwithdrawn from the opening in the top 2, the purpose of which will presof sections 10 and 11 the opposing faces of which are provided withcentrally disposed depressions l2 and 13 respectively, the saiddepressions being opposite one another and adapted to receive a coilspring 14 operating to force the members 10 and 11 tightly against theinner wall of the cylinder 6. It is to be understood that the outeredges of the members 10 and 11 correspond with the shape of the cylinder6, and each of the said members 10 and 11 is provided upon its underface with suitable eyes 15 and 16. These eyes are arranged in pairswhich are positioned diametrically opposite one another and the saideyes are adapted to receive a loosely arranged rod which preferably hasits opposite ends headed as at 17 and which serves as means forpreventing the entire separation of the members 10 and 11. .The liftrest, while resiliently contacting with the walls of the cylinder 6 isof course, givable to permit of the said rest being advanced through thecylinder as the lifts are fed successively into the cylinder. The liftsor heel layers may be made of a single piece of material or of aplurality of pieces cut at angles to provide a complete lift asillustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The lifts, which may bedesignated by the numerals 18, are fed either separately or in numbersto the top of the cutting member or die 5, when the plunger 7 isoperated to cut the leather and to force the lifts to the cylinder 6.The lift rest 9 prevents the lifts from dropping through the cylinderwhich, may if desired and which preferably is of a slightly larger areathan that of the die proper, in order that the log formed by the liftsmay be readily removed from the cylinder. When suflicient lifts havebeen fed to the cylinder 6 to complete a log, the said cylinder 6 isforced downwardly against the tension of the springs 8, then slightlytilted and removed from the table and the log forced out of the cylinderand is delivered to a separate machine where the same is compressedunder pressure. As heretofore stated, the separate lifts may be glued orotherwise secured together before or while being fed to the cylinder 6.

The numeral 25 designates the complementary knife member which isarranged upon the upper face of the table and which is employed inconnection with the mallet to cut the straight edges of the pieces ofleather from which the lifts are formed.

At the beginning of the operation, the follower 9 occupies a position tobring its upper face flush with the cutting edge of the die 5. When thefirst piece of leather (with its straight edge out by the knife 25) isbrought under the mallet 7, the curved outer edge of said leather piecewill be cut by the die, the mallet driving the said piece into the die,which thereby causes the follower or rest 9 to advance in the tube 6 adistance corresponding to the thickness of the leather piece which thusconstitutes one of the sections of the layer forming a single lift. Thecutting of the remaining sections of the layer has no further effecthowever, in advancing the follower. When the first leather section ofthe layer making up the next lift is cut by the die, the mallet againadvances the follower a distance corresponding to the thickness of theleather piece thus cut, and so on with successive lifts, the followeradvancing a distance corresponding to the thickness of the leather piecethus cut, and so on with successive lifts, the follower advancing adistance corresponding to the thickness of a lift with the formation ofsuch lift. The straight edges of the leather sections constituting anylift are cut by the eye on the edge of the knife 25, the mallet 7 beingused to drive the piece to be out. When the tube or cylinder 6 fillswith lifts a heel-log will be formed, the lifts adhering together whereadhesive has been used before the die is applied; otherwise the logsections are separable when removed from the cylinder. Of course, whenthe cylinder is full of lifts, the follower will have been forcedagainst the springs 8. By compressing the springs sufliciently to permitthe withdrawal of the upper end of the cylinder from the opening in thetable-top 2 in which it normally rests, and then canting or incliningthe cylinder, the same may be readily withdrawn from the pocket 7, thefollower pulled out through the open bottom of the cylinder and thelifts abstracted either in a predetermined number of sections when notadhering together, or as a single log where they are glued together,depending on the mode of subsequent treatment.

The numeral 30 designates a die and cylinder made integral which may beemployed. This die comprises a hollow element having an upper sharpenededge, which corresponds in shape with the heel lift and is furtherprovided with a closed bottom 31.

From the above description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, the simplicity of the device, as well as the advantagesthereof, will, it is thought, commend themselves to those skilled in theart to which such inventions appertain without further detaileddescription.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. In combinationwith a fixed support, a suitable heel-lift-forming die mounted above anddischarging through, the support, a tube positioned in the path of discharge of the die for receiving the heel-lifts at one end, a followerwithin the tube adapted to be advanced'therethrough by the successivelifts discharged from the die, a fixed support engaging the dischargeend of the tube, and resilient devices interposed between said supportand said discharge end of the tube to permit retraction of the oppositeend of the tube from the die.

2. In combination with a fixed support, a

suitable heel-lift forming die mounted on one side of said support anddischarging therethrough, a tube mounted to form a continuation of thedie but disposed on the opposite side of said support, a followeradapted to traverse the die and tube with successive accessions of liftsinto the die, a second fixed support engaging the discharge end of thetube, and provided with a pocket beyond the end of the tube, andresilient devices in said pocket engaging the adjacent end of the tube,whereby upon compression thereof, the intake end of the tube may beretracted out of engagement with the first fixed support.

8. In combination with a heel-lift-forming die, a tube or cylinderleading therefrom, a follower traversing said die and tube andcomprising a pair of opposed and separable sections peripherallyengaging the inner walls of the die and tube, the faces adjacent theplane of separation between the sections being provided with oppositedepressions, a compression-spring confined in said depressions, suitablealining eyes on the outer faces of the respective sections, and a headedrod loosely passed through the eyes, for the pur pose set forth.

4. The herein described apparatus comprising a heel 1ift-forming die, atube so located as to receive the lifts from the die, yielding means forsustaining the tube against the die, a yieldable support for the liftsfrictionally engaging within the tube, said support comprising a pair ofsections, spring members for forcing the sections away from each otherand into frictional contact with the tube, and elements loosely arrangedupon the sections to prevent the entire separation of the sections.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PATRICK JAMES RILEY.

Witnesses:

J osnrr-r GANNINGER, FRED HONER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G.

